Each player has 15 checkers and moves them around the board according to dice rolls. White moves from points 24 down to 1; Black moves from points 1 up to 24. If you land on a point occupied by a single opponent checker (a blot), that piece is sent to the bar and must re-enter before other moves can be made. Once all your checkers are in your home board (points 1-6 for White, 19-24 for Black), you begin bearing them off. First player to bear off all 15 wins.

One of the oldest board games in history, backgammon combines dice luck with deep strategic play. Building made points, hitting blots, and priming your opponent are all key skills.

Tips

• Build "made points" — two or more checkers on the same point can't be hit.
• A prime (6 consecutive made points) traps any checker behind it.
• Hit your opponent's blots when the risk is low — it sets them back significantly.

Setup and terminology

Points are numbered 1–24. White moves counterclockwise (24→1) and bears off at point 1; Black moves clockwise (1→24) and bears off at point 24. A blot is a single checker on a point — vulnerable to being hit. A point is two or more checkers — safe and blocks the opponent. The bar holds hit checkers, which must re-enter before any other move.

History

Backgammon's ancestors trace back roughly five thousand years to the Royal Game of Ur in Mesopotamia and the Egyptian senet. The modern rules — twenty-four points, two dice, hitting and bearing off — were codified in 17th-century England. The doubling cube was added by New York club players in the 1920s, fundamentally changing the game's risk-reward structure. Today backgammon is played at a high level both online and in international tournaments.

Backgammon strategy depends on the position type. In a race (no contact between checkers), pip count matters more than anything else — count both sides' total distance to bear off and play the most efficient roll.

In a blitz, you've hit one or more enemy checkers and are trying to close them out. Build points in your home board fast — a closed-out checker that takes many rolls to re-enter is worth more than a small material edge.

In a priming game, both sides build walls of consecutive points. The side with the longer prime and the better timing usually wins. The doubling cube turns every position into a wager — accept doubles when your winning chances are above 25% (rough rule), drop when they're not.

What is the doubling cube?

A six-sided cube showing 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64. Either player can offer to double the stakes; the opponent accepts (and takes ownership) or drops (and forfeits the game at the current stake).

What is a blot?

A single checker alone on a point. The opponent can hit it by landing on the same point, sending the checker to the bar.

Do I have to use both dice?

Yes if legal. If you can play either die but not both, you must play the higher one. If neither can be played, you forfeit the turn.

What is bearing off?

Once all your checkers are in your home board (last six points), you start removing them. Roll the number of the point a checker is on (or higher, if no checkers are further back).

Can I hit while bearing off?

You cannot bear off while you have a checker on the bar. If your last checker is hit during bear-off, you must re-enter and bring it home before resuming.

Doubles roll — do I really play four moves?

Yes. Rolling 6-6, for example, gives you four 6-point moves to use however you like.

Conquest of Resources — Catan-style strategy with dice rolls, trading, and tile control.

Chess — The classic strategy game — pure skill, no dice.

Checkers — Race to the back rank with forced jumps and kinging.

Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) — Asian chess variant with cannons and a river.